Medical catheter

ABSTRACT

In some examples, a catheter may include an elongate body and a push assembly. The elongate body may include an inner liner defining an entry port into a lumen defined by the elongate body, and an outer jacket. The push assembly may an anchor member positioned at a distal end of an elongate member. Distal to a proximal end of the elongate body, a first portion of the push assembly, comprising the anchor member, may be positioned between a portion of the inner liner and a portion of the outer jacket. The anchor member may extend only partially around an outer perimeter of the inner liner when the catheter is assembled. Proximal to the proximal end of the elongate body, a second portion of the push assembly, proximal to the first portion, may be positioned outside of the outer jacket and the inner liner.

This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. Application No.16/432,679, filed on Jun. 5, 2019, and entitled, “MEDICAL CATHETER,”which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/680,792,filed Jun. 5, 2018, and entitled, “MEDICAL CATHETER,” the entire contentof each of which is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to a medical catheter.

BACKGROUND

A medical catheter defining at least one lumen has been proposed for usewith various medical procedures. For example, in some cases, a medicalcatheter may be used to deliver a medical device and/or compositionwithin vasculature of a patient.

SUMMARY

In some aspects, this disclosure describes example catheters that eachinclude a push assembly and an elongate body including an inner linerdefining an entry port into a lumen of the elongate body and an outerjacket. The push assembly may include an elongate member and an anchormember positioned at a distal end of the elongate member. The elongatemember is relatively stiff such that the push assembly may be configuredto facilitate introduction of the catheter in vasculature of a patient.When the push assembly is assembled with the elongate body, distal tothe entry port, a portion of the push assembly including the anchormember may be positioned between adjacent portions of the inner linerand outer jacket. Proximal to the entry port, a portion of the pushassembly may be positioned outside of adjacent portions of the innerliner and outer jacket. In some examples, a proximal portion of the pushassembly may be positioned entirely outside of the inner liner and outerjacket. In some examples, the anchor member may have a partial-ringshape and a beveled distal edge and may extend partially around an outerperimeter of the inner liner.

In some examples, a catheter system includes an outer catheter, and thecatheter including the push assembly may be an inner catheter that maybe introduced into vasculature of a patient through a lumen of the outercatheter. The elongate body may be configured to extend out of a distalopening of the outer catheter to extend through heavy tortuosity orcalcification within a body vessel. The elongate body may have a smallerradial profile and may be more flexible than the outer catheter suchthat it may more easily navigate through heavy tortuosity orcalcification within a body vessel than the outer catheter. In someexamples, the elongate body may include an atraumatic tip to minimizeadverse interactions with patient tissue during advancement of theelongate body within a body vessel.

Clause 1: In some examples, a catheter comprises an elongate body and apush assembly, the elongate body comprising an outer jacket and an innerliner defining an entry port into a lumen defined by the elongate body,the push assembly including an elongate member and an anchor member, theanchor member positioned at a distal end of the elongate member, whereindistal to a proximal end of the elongate body, a first portion of thepush assembly is positioned between a portion of the inner liner and aportion of the outer jacket, and proximal to the proximal end of theelongate body, a second portion of the push assembly is positionedoutside of the outer jacket and the inner liner, wherein the firstportion of the push assembly comprises the anchor member, the anchormember extending only partially around an outer perimeter of the innerliner, and wherein the second portion of the push assembly is proximalto the first portion.

Clause 2: In some examples of the catheter of clause 1, the anchormember defines a beveled distal edge.

Clause 3: In some examples of the catheter of clause 1 or clause 2, theanchor member comprises a radiopaque marker.

Clause 4: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-3, theanchor member extends about 140 degrees to about 160 degrees around anouter perimeter of the inner liner.

Clause 5: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-4, theanchor member extends about 160 degrees around the outer perimeter ofthe inner liner.

Clause 6: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-5, theanchor member extends from a proximal end to a distal end, the anchormember defining a slot extending from the proximal end towards thedistal end, and wherein the distal end of the elongate member ispositioned at least partially within the slot.

Clause 7: In some examples of the catheter of clause 6, the slot has alength from about 25 percent to about 75 percent of a length of theanchor member, the length of the anchor member being measured from theproximal end to the distal end of the anchor member.

Clause 8: In some examples of the catheter of clause 7, the length ofthe slot is about 40 percent to about 60 percent of the length of theanchor member.

Clause 9: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-8, theanchor member is welded to the elongate member.

Clause 10: In some examples of the catheter of clause 9, the catheterfurther comprises welding material between the anchor member and theelongate member.

Clause 11: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-10, theanchor member is 50 to 100 micrometers thick, a thickness of the anchormember being measured in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinalaxis defined by the elongate body when the anchor member is mechanicallyconnected to the elongate member.

Clause 12: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-11, theanchor member defines a partial-ring shape.

Clause 13: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-12, theouter jacket comprises a first outer jacket section and a second outerjacket section distal to the first outer jacket section, and wherein thefirst and second outer jacket sections have different stiffnesses.

Clause 14: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-13, theinner liner comprises a first inner liner section and a second innerliner section distal to the first inner liner section, and wherein thefirst inner liner section defines the entry port.

Clause 15: In some examples of the catheter of clause 14, a proximal endof the anchor member is aligned with a proximal end of the entry port.

Clause 16: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-15, theentry port extends along a length of the elongate body.

Clause 17: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-16, theportion of the inner liner comprises a first portion of the inner linerand the portion of the outer jacket comprises a first portion of theouter jacket, the catheter further comprising a reinforcement memberpositioned between at least a portion of the inner liner and at least asecond portion of the outer jacket.

Clause 18: In some examples of the catheter of clause 17, a distal endof the anchor member is positioned proximal to the reinforcement member.

Clause 19: In some examples of the catheter of clause 17 or clause 18,the distal end of the anchor member abuts a proximal end of thereinforcement member.

Clause 20: In some examples of the catheter of clause 17 or clause 18,the distal end of the anchor member is spaced from a proximal end of thereinforcement member.

Clause 21: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-20, theanchor member defines an inner surface and an outer surface wherein atleast one of the inner surface or the outer surface defines anon-semicircular surface.

Clause 22: In some examples of the catheter of clause 21, thenon-semicircular surface defines a plurality of notches.

Clause 23: In some examples of the catheter of clause 21 or clause 22,the non-semicircular surface defines a plurality of waves.

Clause 24: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-23, thecatheter further comprises a sleeve surrounding at least a portion ofthe elongate member external to the lumen defined by elongate body.

Clause 25: In some examples of the catheter of clause 24, an outersurface of the sleeve is textured.

Clause 26: In some examples of the catheter of clause 25, the texturedouter surface is etched.

Clause 27: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 24-26, thesleeve is a different color than at least one of: the elongate member,the inner liner, or the outer jacket.

Clause 28: In some examples of the catheter of clauses 24-27, the sleevecomprises a partial cut around a perimeter of the sleeve, the partialcut extending only partially through a radial thickness of the sleeve.

Clause 29: In some examples of the catheter of clause 28, the partialcut extends 360 degrees around a cross section of the sleeve.

Clause 30: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 24-29, thesleeve comprises a visible marker.

Clause 31: In some examples of the catheter of clause 30, the sleevecomprises a double-stripe mark.

Clause 32: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-31, theelongate member tapers in a distal direction.

Clause 33: In some examples of the catheter of clause 32, a crosssection of the elongate member is circular at a first portion andD-shaped at a second portion, the first portion being proximal to thesecond portion.

Clause 34: In some examples of the catheter of clause 32, a crosssection of the elongate member is circular at a first portion and flatat a second portion, the first portion being proximal to the secondportion.

Clause 35: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-34, theouter jacket comprises a tubular distal portion and a tapered proximalportion, wherein the tapered proximal portion comprises the portion ofthe outer jacket.

Clause 36: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 1-35, aproximal end of the inner liner is proximal to the entry port.

Clause 37: In some examples, a method of forming a catheter comprisesinserting an anchor member of a push assembly between an inner liner andan outer jacket, wherein the anchor member, when inserted, extends onlypartially around an outer perimeter of the inner liner, and wherein theanchor member is positioned at a distal end of an elongate member of thepush assembly. The method further comprises heating at least one of theinner liner or the outer jacket to reflow material around the anchormember, wherein the elongate body comprises the inner liner and theouter jacket, wherein the inner liner defines an entry port into a lumendefined by the elongate body, wherein, after insertion and advancementof the anchor member, distal to a proximal end of the elongate body, afirst portion of the push assembly is positioned between a portion ofthe inner liner and a portion of the outer jacket, and proximal to theproximal end of the elongate body, a second portion of the push assemblyis positioned outside of the outer jacket and the inner liner, whereinthe first portion of the push assembly comprises the anchor member, andwherein the second portion of the push assembly is proximal to the firstportion.

Clause 38: In some examples of the method of clause 37, the methodfurther comprises coupling the anchor member to the elongate member.

Clause 39: In some examples of the method of clause 38, coupling theanchor member to the elongate member comprises welding the anchor memberto the elongate member.

Clause 40: In some examples of the method of clause 39, welding theanchor member to the elongate member comprises placing welding materialbetween the anchor member and the elongate member.

Clause 41: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 38-40, theanchor member extends from a proximal end to a distal end, the anchormember defining a slot extending from the proximal end towards thedistal end, wherein coupling the anchor member to the elongate membercomprises positioning the distal end of the elongate member at leastpartially within the slot.

Clause 42: In some examples of the method of clause 41, the slot has alength from about 25 percent to about 75 percent of a length of theanchor member, the length of the anchor member being measured from theproximal end to the distal end of the anchor member.

Clause 43: In some examples of the method of clause 42, the length ofthe slot is about 40 percent to about 60 percent of the length of theanchor member.

Clause 44: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-43, theanchor member defines a beveled distal edge.

Clause 45: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-44, theanchor member comprises a radiopaque marker.

Clause 46: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-45, theanchor member extends about 140 degrees to about 160 degrees around theouter perimeter of the inner liner.

Clause 47: In some examples of the method of clause 46, the anchormember extends about 160 degrees around the outer perimeter of the innerliner.

Clause 48: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-47, theanchor member is about 50 micrometers to about 100 micrometers thick, athickness of the anchor member being measured in a directionperpendicular to a longitudinal axis defined by the elongate body whenthe anchor member is mechanically connected to the elongate member.

Clause 49: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-48, theanchor member defines a partial-ring shape.

Clause 50: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-49, theouter jacket comprises a first outer jacket section and a second outerjacket section distal to the first outer jacket section, and wherein thefirst and second outer jacket sections have different stiffnesses.

Clause 51: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-50, theouter jacket comprises a first outer jacket section and a second outerjacket section distal to the first outer jacket section, and wherein thefirst outer jacket section and the inner liner define the entry port.

Clause 52: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-51,advancing the anchor member between the inner liner and the outer jacketin the distal direction comprises aligning a proximal end of the anchormember with a proximal end of the entry port.

Clause 53: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-52, theportion of the inner liner comprises a first portion of the inner linerand the portion of the outer jacket comprises a first portion of theouter jacket, the catheter further comprising positioning areinforcement member between at least a second portion of the innerliner and at least a second portion of the outer jacket.

Clause 54: In some examples of the method of clause 53, advancing theanchor member between the inner liner and the outer jacket in the distaldirection comprises positioning a distal end of the anchor memberproximal to the reinforcement member.

Clause 55: In some examples of the method of clause 53 or clause 54,advancing the anchor member between the inner liner and the outer jacketin the distal direction comprises positioning the distal end of theanchor member such that it abuts a proximal end of the reinforcementmember.

Clause 56: In some examples of the method of clause 53 or clause 54,after heating the at least one of the inner liner or the outer jacket toreflow material around the anchor member, there is a space between thedistal end of the anchor member and a proximal end of the reinforcementmember.

Clause 57: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-56, theanchor member defines an inner surface and an outer surface wherein atleast one of the inner surface or the outer surface defines anon-semicircular surface.

Clause 58: In some examples of the method of clause 57, thenon-semicircular surface defines a plurality of notches.

Clause 59: In some examples of the method of clause 57 or clause 58, thenon-semicircular surface defines a plurality of waves.

Clause 60: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-59, themethod further comprises positioning a sleeve around at least a portionof the elongate member external to a lumen defined by the elongate body.

Clause 61: In some examples of the method of clause 60, an outer surfaceof the sleeve is textured.

Clause 62: In some examples of the method of clause 61, the texturedouter surface is etched.

Clause 63: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 60-62, thesleeve is a different color than at least one of: the elongate member,the inner liner, or the outer jacket.

Clause 64: In some examples of the method of ant of clauses 60-63, thesleeve comprises a partial cut around a perimeter of the sleeve, thepartial cut extending only partially through a radial thickness of thesleeve.

Clause 65: In some examples of the method of clause 64, the partial cutextends 360 degrees around a cross section of the sleeve.

Clause 66: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 60-65, thesleeve comprises a visible marker.

Clause 67: In some examples of the method of clause 66, the sleevecomprises a double-stripe mark.

Clause 68: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-67, theelongate member tapers in a distal direction.

Clause 69: In some examples of the method of clause 68, a cross sectionof the elongate member is circular at a first portion and D-shaped at asecond portion, the first portion being proximal to the second portion.

Clause 70: In some examples of the method of clause 68, a cross sectionof the elongate member is circular at a first portion and flat at asecond portion, the first portion being proximal to the second portion.

Clause 71: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-70, theouter jacket comprises a tubular distal portion and a tapered proximalportion, wherein the tapered proximal portion comprises the portion ofthe outer jacket.

Clause 72: In some examples of the method of any of clauses 37-71, aproximal end of the inner liner is proximal to the entry port.

Clause 73: In some examples, a catheter comprises an elongate body and apush assembly, the elongate body comprising an inner liner and an outerjacket, the inner liner defining an outer perimeter and defining anentry port into a lumen defined by the elongate body. The push assemblyincludes an anchor member positioned at a distal end of an elongatemember, the anchor member defining a beveled distal edge, wherein distalto a proximal end of the elongate body, a distal portion of the pushassembly is positioned between a portion of the inner liner and aportion of the outer jacket, and proximal to the proximal end of theelongate body, a proximal portion of the push assembly is positionedentirely outside of the outer jacket and the inner liner, wherein thedistal portion of the push assembly comprises the anchor member, theanchor member having an inner perimeter that is less than the outerperimeter of the inner liner.

Clause 74: In some examples of the catheter of clause 73, the anchormember comprises a radiopaque marker.

Clause 75: In some examples of the catheter of clause 73 or clause 74,the anchor member extends about 140 degrees to about 160 degrees aroundan outer perimeter of the inner liner.

Clause 76: In some examples of the catheter of clause 75, the anchormember extends about 160 degrees around the outer perimeter of the innerliner.

Clause 77: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-76, theanchor member extends from a proximal end to a distal end, the anchormember defining a slot extending from the proximal end towards thedistal end, and wherein the distal end of the elongate member ispositioned at least partially within the slot.

Clause 78: In some examples of the catheter of clause 77, the slot has alength from about 25 percent to about 75 percent of a length of theanchor member, the length of the anchor member being measured from theproximal end to the distal end of the anchor member.

Clause 79: In some examples of the catheter of clause 78, the length ofthe slot is about 40 percent to about 60 percent of the length of theanchor member.

Clause 80: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-79, theanchor member is welded to the elongate member.

Clause 81: In some examples of the catheter of clause 80, the catheterfurther comprises welding material between the anchor member and theelongate member.

Clause 82: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-81, theanchor member is about 50 micrometers thick to about 100 micrometersthick, a thickness of the anchor member being measured in a directionperpendicular to a longitudinal axis defined by the elongate body whenthe anchor member is mechanically connected to the elongate member.

Clause 83: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-82, theanchor member defines a partial-ring shape.

Clause 84: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-83, theouter jacket comprises a first outer jacket section and a second outerjacket section distal to the first outer jacket section, and the firstand second outer jacket sections have different stiffnesses.

Clause 85: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-84, theinner liner comprises a first inner liner section and a second innerliner section distal to the first inner liner section, and the firstinner liner section defines the entry port.

Clause 86: In some examples of the catheter of clause 85, a proximal endof the anchor member is aligned with a proximal end of the entry port.

Clause 87: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-86, theportion of the inner liner comprises a first portion of the inner linerand the portion of the outer jacket comprises a first portion of theouter jacket, and the catheter further comprises a reinforcement memberpositioned between at least a second portion of the inner liner and atleast a second portion of the outer jacket.

Clause 88: In some examples of the catheter of clause 87, a distal endof the anchor member is positioned proximal to the reinforcement member.

Clause 89: In some examples of the catheter of clause 88, the distal endof the anchor member abuts a proximal end of the reinforcement member.

Clause 90: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-89, theanchor member defines an inner surface and an outer surface wherein atleast one of the inner surface or the outer surface defines anon-semicircular surface.

Clause 91: In some examples of the catheter of clause 90, thenon-semicircular surface defines a plurality of notches.

Clause 92: In some examples of the catheter of clause 90 or clause 91,the non-semicircular surface defines a plurality of waves.

Clause 93: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-92, thecatheter further comprises a sleeve surrounding at least a portion ofthe elongate member external to the lumen defined by the elongate body.

Clause 94: In some examples of the catheter of clause 93, an outersurface of the sleeve is textured.

Clause 95: In some examples of the catheter of clause 94, the texturedouter surface is etched.

Clause 96: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 93-95, thesleeve is a different color than at least one of: the elongate member,the inner liner, or the outer jacket.

Clause 97: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 93-96, thesleeve comprises a partial cut around a perimeter of the sleeve, and thepartial cut extends only partially through a radial thickness of thesleeve.

Clause 98: In some examples of the catheter of clause 97, the partialcut extends 360 degrees around a cross section of the sleeve.

Clause 99: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 93-98, thesleeve comprises a visible marker.

Clause 100: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 93-99,the sleeve comprises a double-stripe mark.

Clause 101: In some examples of the catheter of clause 73, the elongatemember tapers in a distal direction.

Clause 102: In some examples of the catheter of clause 101, a crosssection of the elongate member is circular at a first portion andD-shaped at a second portion, the first portion being proximal to thesecond portion.

Clause 103: In some examples of the catheter of clause 101, a crosssection of the elongate member is circular at a first portion and flatat a second portion, the first portion being proximal to the secondportion.

Clause 104: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-103,the outer jacket comprises a tubular distal portion and a taperedproximal portion, wherein the tapered proximal portion comprises theportion of the outer jacket.

Clause 105: In some examples of the catheter of any of clauses 73-104, aproximal end of the inner liner is proximal to the entry port.

The details of one or more aspects of the disclosure are set forth inthe accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features,objects, and advantages of the techniques described in this disclosurewill be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a conceptual side view of an example catheter, which includesan elongate body, a push assembly, and a handle.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of a portion of the examplecatheter of FIG. 1 and an outer catheter.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of an example elongatemember of the push assembly of the catheter of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken alongline 3-3 in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of an example elongatemember of the push assembly of the catheter of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken alongline 4-4 in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 5 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of an example elongatemember of the push assembly of the catheter of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken alongline 5-5 in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 6 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of the catheter of FIGS. 1and 2 taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 2 .

FIGS. 7A and 7B are conceptual cross-sectional views of examples of thecatheter of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 2 .

FIGS. 8A and 8B are conceptual cross-sectional views of examples of thecatheter of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 9 is a conceptual perspective view of the anchor member of FIGS. 1,2, 6, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are conceptual perspective views of the push assemblyof FIGS. 1, 2, 6, 7A, and 7B.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual perspective view of an example push assembly,such as the push assembly of FIGS. 1, 2, 10A and 10B, further includinga radiopaque band.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are conceptual cross-sectional views of example anchormembers, such as the anchor member of FIGS. 1 and 2 , with an innersurface and/or an outer surface defining a non-semicircular surface.

FIG. 14 is a conceptual side view of an example of the anchor member ofthe push assembly of FIGS. 2, 10A, and 10B and a distal portion of theelongate member of the push assembly of FIGS. 2, 10A, and 10B, beforethe anchor member and the elongate member are mechanically connectedtogether to form the push assembly.

FIG. 15 is a conceptual side view of the push assembly of FIG. 14 afterthe anchor member and the elongate member are mechanically connectedtogether to form the push assembly.

FIG. 16 is a conceptual perspective view of a portion of an example ofthe elongate member of FIGS. 1, 2, 10A, 10B, and 11 .

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of assembling theexample catheter shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In some examples, a medical catheter (“catheter”) described hereinincludes a push assembly and an elongate body including an inner linerand an outer jacket. The push assembly includes an elongate member (alsoreferred to herein as a shaft) and an anchor member at a distal end ofthe push assembly. In some examples, the push assembly includes only oneanchor member at the distal end of the push assembly, while in otherexamples, the push assembly includes a plurality of anchor members. Theanchor member is configured to facilitate attachment of the elongatemember to the inner liner and outer jacket of the elongate body. Theanchor member may be positioned at a distal end of the elongate member.

The outer jacket and the inner liner, alone or in combination with otherelements, may form the elongate body, may be a distal portion of thecatheter. The elongate body defines at least one lumen through which amedical device (e.g., a catheter, guidewire, filter, stent deliverysystem, and the like), therapeutic agent, or other element can beintroduced into vasculature or other tissue sites of a patient. Theinner liner may define an entry port into the lumen. At least a portionof the elongate member of the push assembly may extend proximal of theouter jacket and the inner liner. In examples in which the catheter ispart of an intravascular catheter system and is used in conjunction withan outer catheter, the elongate body of the catheter may be used toeffectively extend the reach of the outer catheter. For example, theelongate body of the catheter may be fully or partially pushed through alumen of the outer catheter until the entire or part of the elongatebody extends past a distal end of the outer catheter, while the pushassembly remains fully or partially within the lumen of the outercatheter. The push assembly has a lower profile than the elongate body,and, as a result, may occupy less space within the outer catheter lumenthan the elongate body of the catheter. Thus, the push assembly may bothfacilitate pushability of the catheter through the outer catheter and/orthrough vasculature of a patient, while still enabling relatively largemedical devices to be introduced through the outer catheter lumen toreach the lumen of the catheter.

In some examples, the catheter described herein may also help deliveryto or past a diseased region or the body. For example, a diseased regionmay include heavy tortuosity and/or calcification and the catheter maybe better suited for navigation through such heavy tortuosity and/orcalcification than the outer catheter due to its flexibility and lowerprofile. In some examples, a clinician may push the catheter out of adistal end of the outer catheter upon the approach of the outer catheterto such a region that would be difficult or impossible for the outercatheter to extend through. In some examples, the catheter may be saidto “telescope” out of the outer catheter when it is pushed out of adistal end of the outer catheter.

The elongate body, including the inner liner and outer jacket, maydefine a proximal end. Distal to the proximal end, a portion of the pushassembly including the anchor member may be positioned between the innerliner and outer jacket. The anchor member may extend only partiallyaround an outer perimeter of the inner liner. Proximal to the proximalend of the elongate body, a portion of the push assembly proximal to theportion including the anchor member may be positioned outside of theouter jacket.

In some examples, the anchor member may be configured to facilitatemanufacture of a catheter. For example, the anchor may define a beveleddistal edge to assist with placement of the anchor member, includinginsertion and advancement of the anchor member between the outer jacketand the inner liner. As another example, the anchor member may define aslot extending from a proximal end of the anchor member and towards adistal end of the anchor member. The slot may facilitate attachment ofthe elongate member to the anchor member as the slot may be configuredsuch that a distal end of the elongate member may be positioned at leastpartially within the slot and may be welded to the anchor. The slot maybe configured such that welding material may be placed between theanchor member and the elongate member, such as in a gap within the slotbetween the anchor member and the elongate member when the distal end ofthe elongate member is positioned at least partially within the slot,such that the welding material may not add to the profile of the pushassembly.

In some examples, an inner surface and/or an outer surface of the anchormember may be a non-semicircular surface such as, for example, a surfacedefining a plurality of notches or waves and/or a textured and/or etchedsurface. Such a non-circular surface may aid in securing the anchormember between the inner liner and the outer jacket by providing greatersurface area that may be bonded to the inner liner and/or outer jacketincluding, for example, by reflow of material of the inner liner and/orouter jacket.

In some examples, the catheter may include one or more radiopaquemarkers to facilitate visualization of the catheter during a medicalprocedure. The one or more radiopaque markers can be located, forexample, on the anchor member, on the elongate member, or in anysuitable place or combination of places, to assist with visualizationand placement of the catheter, with respect to, for example, an outercatheter and/or a target tissue site. In some examples, the anchor is atleast partially radiopaque and/or a radiopaque marker is positioned ator near the entry port into the elongate body of the catheter. Thisradiopaque marker placement may enable a clinician to relatively quicklyascertain the location of the entry port of the lumen of the catheter.

In some examples, the catheter may be configured to facilitatemaneuverability. For example, the outer jacket may vary in stiffnessalong its length, which may help aid maneuverability of the catheterwithin vasculature of a patient. As another example, a reinforcementmember may be positioned between the inner liner and the outer jacket,may be distal to and/or abutting the anchor member, and may aid in thestrength and/or maneuverability of the catheter within vasculature of apatient.

In some examples, the elongate member of the push assembly may taper ina distal direction to enable the distal portion of the elongate memberto better approximate a profile of the anchor member. By tapering theelongate member instead of forming the entire elongate member to havethe lower profile, the proximal portion of the elongate member may stillhave a size and strength sufficient for pushing the catheter within thevasculature and/or sufficient size for gripping by a user. In some ofthese examples, as well as some other examples, the elongate member maybe a solid member having a round (e.g., circular) cross-section. Thatis, the elongate member may not define a central lumen or other openingin its cross-section.

In some examples, the catheter may facilitate differentiation from otherdevices used in conjunction with the catheter and/or between elements ofthe catheter. For example, a sleeve may surround at least a portion ofthe elongate member, such as a portion proximal to the anchor member. Insome examples, the sleeve may be a different color than the elongatemember, the elongate body, a guidewire, and/or other devices used withthe catheter in order to help visually distinguish the sleeve. Thesleeve can also include other features to help facilitate usage of thesleeve. For example, the sleeve may include one or more bands includingone or more partial cuts extending partially through a radial thicknessof the sleeve and/or one or more markers. In some examples, the sleevemay include a textured surface. In some examples, partial cuts and/or atextured surface may aid in tactile differentiation of the sleeve fromother components. In some examples, one or more bands including one ormore partial cuts and/or markers may aid in visual differentiation ofthe sleeve. Visual and/or tactile differentiation of the sleeve mayenable the elongate member to be discerned from other elementsincluding, for example, an outer catheter, a guidewire, or otherdelivery devices or components in use with the catheter describedherein.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual side view of an example catheter 100, whichincludes an elongate body 102, a push assembly 108, and a handle 101.FIG. 2 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of a portion of catheter 100of FIG. 1 and an outer catheter 110. Catheter 100 defines a longitudinalaxis X. Elongate body 102 includes an inner liner 104 and an outerjacket 106. As shown in FIG. 1 , elongate body 102 may define a proximalend 10 and a distal end 12.

In some examples, catheter 100 may be part of an assembly that includesan outer catheter 110 defining a lumen 111, through which catheter 100may be introduced in order to access, for example, a distal target sitewithin vasculature of a patient. Thus, at least a portion of outercatheter 110 may be configured to surround catheter 100. Outer catheter110 may further define distal opening 113 and, in some examples, atleast a portion of catheter 100 may be configured to extend throughdistal opening 113 and distally of outer catheter 110, as shown in FIG.2 . For example, catheter 100 may be configured to extend out of distalopening 113 of outer catheter 110 to extend through heavy tortuosity orcalcification within a body vessel. Catheter 100 may have a smallerradial profile and may be more flexible than outer catheter 110 suchthat it may more easily navigate through heavy tortuosity orcalcification within a body vessel than outer catheter 110.

In some examples, an outer radial profile of elongate body 102 ofcatheter 100 may be similar in a radial shape and/or size of at least adistal portion of lumen 111 of outer catheter 110 such that catheter 100may fit relatively snugly inside of outer catheter 110 when elongatebody is at least partially within outer catheter 110. This may help todefine a relatively smooth transition between elongate body 102 andouter catheter 110 when only a portion of elongate body 102 extendsdistally of distal opening 113 of outer catheter 110 and another portionremains within lumen 111 of outer catheter 110 and/or when a proximalend of elongate body 102 abuts a distal end of outer catheter 110. Thisrelatively smooth transition and/or snug fit may provide certainadvantages. For example, fluids may be easier to deliver through thelumen 111 of outer catheter 110 and the lumen 105 of elongate body 102without leakage. As an additional example, devices and/or other elementsmay be easier to advance from lumen 111 of outer catheter 110 to lumen105 of elongate body 102 because the transition between lumen 111 andlumen 105 may be relatively smooth such that components being deliveredmay not get caught at a transition from lumen 111 to lumen 105.

Although catheter 100 is shown as extending out distal opening 113 ofouter catheter 100 such that proximal end 10 of elongate body 102 isdistal to distal opening 113, in some medical procedures, catheter 100may be positioned relative to outer catheter 110 such that proximal end10 of elongate body 102 is proximate to distal opening 113. For example,entry port 109 of elongate body 102, described in further detail below,may be positioned within lumen 111 of outer catheter 110, such that aninterventional medical device or another medical device can beintroduced from lumen 111 of outer catheter 110 into lumen 105 ofelongate body 102 without exiting lumen 111.

In some examples, as shown in FIG. 1 , catheter 100 may include anatraumatic tip 14 to minimize adverse interactions with patient tissueduring advancement of catheter 100 within a body vessel.

Elongate body 102 is configured to provide a delivery vessel on catheter100 that may extend distally of outer catheter 110 to telescope out of adistal end of outer catheter 110 and effectively extend a reach of acatheter within vasculature of a patient and enable delivery of devices,agents, and/or any other suitable elements to target sites that may bedifficult for outer catheter 110 to reach. In some examples, elongatebody 102 may include an inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 that mayprovide multiple layers between which push assembly 108 may be insertedto attach push assembly 108 to elongate body 102. This may provide for arelatively strong attachment between push assembly 108 and elongate body102, as well as maintain relatively smooth outer and inner surfaces ofelongate body 102 at the portion of elongate body 102 attached to pushassembly 108.

Inner liner 104 of elongate body 102 defines lumen 105 and outer jacket106 defines lumen 107. In some examples, at least a portion of innerliner 104 may be positioned within lumen 107 of outer jacket 106. Insome examples, inner liner 104 may extend within the full length oflumen 107 of outer jacket 106. In other examples, however, inner liner104 may terminate prior to a distal end of outer jacket 106 or mayextend past a distal end of outer jacket 106. Although elongate body 102is shown as a tubular body in FIG. 1 , elongate body 102 may have anysuitable configuration.

Inner liner 104, alone or in combination with outer jacket 106, maydefine entry port 109 into lumen 105. Entry port 109 may extend from aproximal end 138 to a distal end 140 along a length of elongate body102. In some examples, entry port 109 may be angled from distal end 140to proximal end 138 due to the tapered shape of the elongate body 102.Entry port 109 may be formed by skiving at least part of portion 120 ofelongate body 102. In some examples, entry port 109 may have a length,measured from proximal end 138 to distal end 140 along longitudinal axisX, of about 2 centimeters (cm) to about 10 cm (e.g., 2 cm to 10 cm ornearly 2 cm to 10 cm, to the extent permitted by manufacturingtolerances), such as about 3.5 cm to about 4.5 cm or about 4 cm. It isbelieved that a tapered entry port 109 having a relatively longer lengthand being angled from distal end 140 to proximal end 138 may helpcontribute to smooth delivery of a medical device (e.g., aninterventional medical device) into inner lumen 105 of elongate body 102via entry port 109 by guiding the medical device into inner lumen 105.

Push assembly 108 may be configured to enable a clinician to positionelongate body 102 with respect to outer catheter 110 and/or with respectto patient vasculature. For example, a proximal portion of push assembly108 may be configured to be gripped and moved by the clinician toposition (e.g., advance distally or proximally, and/or rotate) elongatebody 102 within vasculature of a patient. In some examples, pushassembly 108 may be used to advance elongate body 102 with respect toouter catheter 110 to advance elongate body 102 within outer catheter110 and/or extend all or a portion of elongate body 102 distal of outercatheter 110 to access vasculature distal to outer catheter 110. Pushassembly 108 may include any suitable length. In some examples, a lengthof push assembly 108 may be approximately 100 cm to approximately 150cm, such as about 125 cm, measured along longitudinal axis X and from adistal end of handle 101 to a distal end 128 of anchor or measured froma distal end of handle 101 to a distal end of elongated member 114. Insome examples, push assembly 108 includes an elongate member 114 and ananchor member 116. For clarity, a portion of anchor member 116, which ispositioned behind inner liner 104 in the illustrated view, is shown inphantom. In some examples, elongate member 114 may include a distal end118 and anchor member 116 may be positioned at distal end 118 ofelongate member 114. In some examples, push assembly 108 may not includeany other anchor member at distal end 118 other than anchor member 116.

In some examples, at least a portion of push assembly 108 is positionedbetween at least adjacent portions (e.g., radially adjacent portions) ofinner liner 104 and outer jacket 106. For example, at least a portion ofpush assembly 108 may be positioned radially inward of outer jacket 106and radially outward of inner liner 104 such that the portion of pushassembly 108 is between outer jacket 106 and inner liner 104. In someexamples, the portion of push assembly 108 between inner liner 104 andouter jacket 106 may have a length of approximately 4 cm. Positioning atleast a portion of push assembly 108 between portions of inner liner 104and outer jacket 106 may aid in mechanically connecting push assembly108 and elongate body 102 in a manner that enables push assembly 108 totransmit pushing forces and, in some examples, rotational forces, toelongate body 102. In addition, positioning at least a portion of pushassembly 108 between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 may enableelongate body 102 to have relatively smooth inner and outer surfaces atthe portion of elongate body 102 attached to push assembly 108.

In some examples, elongate body 102 may include a tapered portion 120.For example, portions of inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106, as shownin FIG. 2 , corresponding to tapered portion 120 of elongate body 102may be tapered in a proximal direction. The tapering of elongate body102 at tapered portion 120 may enable elongate body 102 to more easilybe retracted into outer catheter 110. For example, during or after useof catheter 100, a clinician may desire to retract at least a portion ofelongate body 102 within outer catheter 110 by retracting push assembly108 proximally with respect to outer catheter 110. Tapered portion 120may allow for smoother entry of elongate body 102 into outer catheter110.

Additionally, the tapered shape of tapered portion 120 may be configuredfacilitate attachment of push assembly 108 to elongate body 102. Forexample, the tapered shape may allow for anchor member 116 to supportentry port 109 while also allowing a portion of elongate member 114proximal to anchor member 116 to be positioned between inner liner 104and outer jacket 106, which may increase bond tensile strength betweenthe push assembly 108 and the elongate body 102. The bond tensilestrength between push assembly 108 and elongate body 102 may decreasewith a shorter length of elongate member 114 positioned between innerliner 104 and outer jacket 106. Thus, if only anchor member 116 (and notelongate member 114) was positioned between inner liner 104 and outerjacket 106, then the bond tensile strength between push assembly 108 andelongate body 102 may decrease. The decreased bond tensile strength mayadversely affect the ability for push assembly 108 to transfer pushingand/or rotational forces to elongate body 102 without compromising themechanical connection between push assembly 108 and elongate body 102.

Further, because a distal portion of elongate member 114 may berelatively flexible (compared to a more proximal portion of elongatemember 114), as described in further detail below, positioning thedistal portion of elongate member 114 between inner liner 104 and outerjacket 106 may help prevent the junction of push assembly 108 andelongate body 102 from being undesirably stiff.

In some examples, distal to proximal end 10 of elongate body 102, aportion of push assembly 108 is positioned between adjacent portions ofinner liner 104 and outer jacket 106. Proximal to proximal end 10 ofelongate body 102, a portion of push assembly 108 is positioned outsideof outer jacket 106 and inner liner 104. The portion of push assembly108 positioned between adjacent portions of inner liner 104 and outerjacket 106 may comprise anchor member 116. The portion of push assembly108 positioned outside of outer jacket 106 and inner liner 104 may beproximal to the portion positioned between adjacent portions of innerliner 104 and outer jacket 106.

Anchor member 116 may have any suitable shape and size. In someexamples, at least an outer surface of anchor member 116 may define apartial-ring shape as shown in further detail below with reference toFIGS. 6-9 . In other examples, however, anchor member 116 may defineother shapes. The partial-ring shape of anchor member 116 may provideone or more advantages. For example, the partial-ring shape may providesupport to inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 to prevent collapse ofproximal ends of inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 and thus helpmaintain the open state of entry port 109 into lumen 105 defined byinner liner 104 such that other catheters or devices may be insertedinto lumen 105.

In some examples, and as described in further detail below with respectto FIG. 6 , anchor member 116 may have an inner perimeter that is lessthan the outer perimeter of inner liner 104 and anchor member 116 mayextend only partially around an outer perimeter of inner liner 104. Forexample, anchor member 116 may extend about 140 degrees to about 160degrees around an outer perimeter of inner liner 104. More particularly,in some examples, anchor member 116 may extend about 160 degrees aroundthe outer perimeter of inner liner 104. In some examples, anchor member116 is radiopaque, and extending only partially about the outerperimeter of inner liner 104 may enable anchor member 116 to indicate arotational orientation (e.g., rotational position about longitudinalaxis X) of elongate body 102 (e.g., entry port 109) within vasculatureof a patient. This may enable a clinician to better position catheter100 relative to outer catheter 110.

In addition, extending only partially about the outer perimeter of innerliner 104 may enable anchor member 116 to be positioned within taperedportion 120 of elongate body 102. This may enable anchor member 116 tobe positioned at entry port 109 to indicate the location thereof, andmay also enable anchor member 116 to provide structural support totapered portions of the inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106. Afull-ring shape would not be able to be located within the taperedportion 120 of elongate body 102 but instead would need to be locateddistal to the tapered portion 120 and thus distal to the entry port 109in order to fit between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 withoutbeing exposed and would thus not be able to include a marker to indicatea location of the entry port 109.

In some examples, however, as shown in FIG. 2 , a proximal end of anchormember 116 is positioned proximate to the distal end 140 of entry port109. For example, a proximal end of anchor member 116 may be alignedwith distal end 140 of entry port 109, such that anchor member 116 isfully positioned within the portion of elongate body 102 defining acircular outer perimeter in cross-section. As another example, aproximal end of anchor member 116 may not be exactly aligned with distalend 140 of entry port 109, but within 4 millimeters (mm), such as within2 mm or less, of distal end 140 of entry port 109 in a proximal or adistal direction. In these examples, a substantial length of that anchormember 116 is positioned within the portion of elongate body 102defining a circular outer perimeter in cross-section.

This partial-ring shape of anchor member 116 may also be advantageousover a full-ring shape because it may be less likely to cause innerliner 104 to bunch during insertion of anchor member 116 between outerjacket 106 and inner liner 104 because anchor member 116 does not extendfully about an outer perimeter of inner liner 104.

In some examples anchor member 116 may define a beveled distal edge 124.Beveled distal edge 124 may allow anchor member 116 to more easily beinserted and advanced between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 thanexamples in which an anchor member has a straight edge. For example,beveled distal edge 124 may enable anchor member 116 to be more easilyinserted between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 by providing anarrow profile of anchor member 116 at distal end 128, which leadsanchor member 116 into the space between inner liner 104 and outerjacket 106. Additionally, beveled distal edge 124 may provide a smoothdistal profile of anchor member 116 that enables less resistance toadvancement of anchor member 116 between and with respect to inner liner104 and outer jacket 106 than a profile including a straight edge and/orsharp corners which may be more likely to catch on inner liner 104and/or outer jacket 106.

Inner liner 104 may be formed from any suitable material, such as, butnot limited to polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE). In some examples, outerjacket 106 may comprise one or more polymers. In some examples, outerjacket 106 may have a hydrophilic coating. For example, the hydrophiliccoating may be positioned over the entire outer surface of outer jacket106 or only along a portion of outer jacket, such as only along adistal-most portion of outer jacket 106. In some examples, a hydrophiliccoating is positioned over the distal-most approximately 15 cm toapproximately 25 cm of outer jacket 106 (e.g., the distal-most 15 cm to25 cm to the extent permitted by manufacturing tolerances), such as thedistal-most approximately 20 cm to approximately 22 cm of outer jacket106, or the distal-most approximately 21 cm of outer jacket 106, thedistances being measured from distal end of outer jacket 106, which maycorrespond to distal end 12 of elongate body 102 in some examples.

In some examples, outer jacket 106 may include multiple sections havingdifferent stiffnesses. For example, outer jacket 106 may include aproximal section, corresponding with portion 136 of catheter 100, and adistal section, corresponding with portion 129 of catheter 100 (shown inFIG. 1 ), that is distal to the proximal section. In some examples, theproximal section may be approximately 1 cm to approximately 4 cm long,such as approximately 2.5 cm long or approximately 1.25 cm long. In someexamples, the distal section may be approximately 15 cm to approximately27 cm long, such as approximately 24 cm long to approximately 26 cmlong, or approximately 25 cm long. The lengths may be measured alonglongitudinal axis X.

The distal section of outer jacket 106 may have a different stiffnessthan the proximal section. For example, the distal section may have astiffness that is greater than a stiffness of the proximal section. Inother examples, the distal section may have a stiffness that is lessthan the proximal section. Outer jacket 106 having a more stiff proximalsection (relative to a distal outer jacket section) may help maintainthe integrity of the proximal portion of inner lumen 105 of elongatebody 102, which may aid in introduction of medical devices into lumen105 from entry port 109 without adversely impact the navigability ofcatheter 100 through vasculature of a patient. For example, outer jacket106 having a more stiff proximal section may help distal end 140 ofentry port 109 and a proximal-most portion of elongate body 102 resistdeformation to help maintain lumenal integrity.

Outer jacket 106 may include any suitable number of sections having anysuitable stiffnesses according to particular needs. In some examples,sections of outer jacket 106 may include different types of polymers,with a stiffer section comprising a stiffer polymer than a more flexiblesection comprising a softer polymer. In some examples, outer jacket 106having multiple sections with different stiffnesses may provide improvedfunctionality of outer jacket 106 including, for example, improvedmaneuverability of outer jacket 106 through the vasculature. Forexample, the distal section may have a stiffness that is less than astiffness of the proximal section, which may allow the distal sectionimproved flexibility for navigation through the vasculature.

In some examples, catheter 100 may further include a reinforcementmember 126 positioned between a portion of inner liner 104 and a portionof outer jacket 106. For clarity, a portion of reinforcement member 126,which is positioned behind inner liner 104 in the illustrated view, isshown in phantom. Reinforcement member 126 may be any suitable structureconfigured to provide structural support to elongate body 102 and, insome examples, increase the structural integrity of elongate body 102.For example, reinforcement member 126 may comprise a metal coil, a metalbraid, or a combination thereof. In some examples, a distal end 128 ofanchor member 116 may be positioned proximal to and spaced fromreinforcement member 126, such that there is a gap between distal end128 of anchor member 116 and a proximal end 130 of reinforcement member126. Example gaps include, for example, gaps less than or equal to 4 mm,such as about 2 mm or less than 2 mm, measured along longitudinal axisX. In other examples, anchor member 116 may contact (e.g., abut)reinforcement member 126, e.g., distal end 128 of anchor member 116 maycontact proximal end 130 of reinforcement member 126. In yet otherexamples, anchor member 116 and reinforcement member 126 may overlap inthe longitudinal direction, e.g., by a length of about 2 mm or less,such as about 1 mm or less.

Anchor member 116 at distal end 118 of elongate member 114 may increasea surface area of a distal portion of push assembly 108 relative toexamples of push assemblies including only elongate member 114 withoutanchor member 116, which may provide certain advantages. For example,the increased surface area at the distal portion of push assembly 108provided by anchor member 116 may improve tensile strength of catheter100 by strengthening the bond between push assembly 108 and elongatebody 102. Additionally, the increased surface area at the distal portionof push assembly 108 provided by anchor member 116 may help preventprotrusion of elongate member 114 through outer jacket 106 when elongatemember 114 is under compression, i.e., when a pushing force is appliedto a proximal portion of elongate member 114 as catheter 100 is advancedthrough vasculature of a patient. For example, in examples withoutanchor member 116, distal end 118 of elongate member 114 may pierceouter jacket 106 due to the relatively small surface area of distal end118 of elongate member 114. Anchor member 116, however, helps distributethe pushing force and minimize any pressure points at the distal end ofpush assembly 108. Additionally, anchor member 116 may help avoidbending of distal end 118 of elongate member 114 under outer jacket 106by providing reinforcement to distal end 118 of elongate member 114.

FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are conceptual cross-sectional views of an exampleelongate member 114 of push assembly 108 of catheter 100 of FIGS. 1 and2 taken along lines 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5, respectively, in FIG. 2 .Although lines 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5 are shown as intersecting multipleelements of catheter 100 in FIG. 1 , for clarity, FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 showonly the cross-section of elongate member 114. As shown, elongate member114 may taper in a distal direction. For example, in some examples andas shown in the illustrated example, a greatest cross-sectionaldimension of elongate member 114 along line 5-5 may be smaller than agreatest cross-sectional dimension of elongate member 114 along line 3-3and a greatest cross-sectional dimension of elongate member 114 alongline 4-4. In some examples and as shown in the illustrated example, agreatest cross-sectional dimension of elongate member 114 along line 4-4may be smaller than a greatest cross-sectional dimension of elongatemember 114 along line 3-3. A transition between the cross-sectionsillustrated in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 may be stepwise, defined by a discretetapered section, or defined by a substantially constant tapered section.

In some examples, a cross-section of a proximal portion of elongatemember 114, such as the cross-section along line 3-3, may be round(e.g., circular). In some examples, this proximal portion of elongatemember 114 having the round cross-section may include a proximal-mostportion of elongate member 114 including a proximal end of elongatemember 114. In addition, in some examples, the proximal portion ofelongate member 114, the configuration of which may be represented bythe cross-section along line 3-3, may be both round in cross-section andsolid (e.g., not hollow or defining any lumens). Elongate member 114having a proximal portion that is solid and round in cross-section mayexhibit a better push force transmission along catheter 110, e.g.,relative to an elongate body that has a proximal portion that is ahollow in cross-section and/or non-round (e.g., rectangular) incross-section.

In some examples, a greatest cross-sectional dimension of the proximalportion of elongate member 114, e.g., as shown at line 3-3, isapproximately 0.3 mm to approximately 1 mm, such as approximately 0.4 mmto approximately 0.5 mm. However, other cross-sectional dimensions ofelongate member 114 may be used in other examples.

In some examples, as in the illustrated example, a portion of elongatemember 114 having a circular cross section may be proximal to a portionof elongate member 114 having a D-shaped cross-section. The portions ofelongate member 114 having the D-shaped cross-sections may define asmaller profile than the proximal portion of elongate member 114defining the round (e.g., circular) cross-section, such that theportions of elongate member 114 defining the D-shaped cross-sections maydefine the “tapered” portions of elongate member 114. For example, across-section of an intermediate and/or a distal portion of elongatemember 114, such as the cross-section along line 4-4 or line 5-5, may beD-shaped. In these examples, one half of elongate member 114 incross-section may be substantially flat (e.g., planar to extentpermitted by manufacturing tolerances) and the other longitudinal halfof elongate member 114 in cross-section may be round (e.g.,semi-circular).

In examples in which a distal portion of elongate member 114 tapers in adistal direction, a first section of the distal portion may define afirst D-shaped cross section having a first cross-sectional area, e.g.,a shown in FIG. 4 , and a second section of the distal portion distal tothe first section may define a second D-shaped cross section having asecond cross-sectional area, where the second cross-sectional area isless than the first cross-sectional area.

The difference in cross-sectional area may be due to, for example, aprofile height of elongate member 114 in the first and second sectionsof the distal portion. In some examples, a D-shaped cross-section alongline 4-4 may include profile height (e.g., from the flat surface of the“D” to the crest of the curved surface of the “D”) of approximately 0.1mm to about 0.5 mm, such as approximately 0.2 mm to approximately 0.3mm. In some examples, a D-shaped cross-section along line 5-5 is lessthan the profile height along line 4-4, and may include profile heightof approximately 0.05 mm and 0.2 mm. Other profile heights may be usedin other examples and may depend on various factors, such as a size oflumen 105 or anchor member 116. The profile height at the distal-mostsection of the distal portion of elongate member 114 may be selectedsuch that when elongate member 114 is mechanically connected to anchormember 116, elongate member 114 does not protrude from anchor member 116in the cross-sectional dimension (orthogonal to longitudinal axis X) orprotrudes a relatively minimal amount from anchor member 116 to reduceoccupying space that limits the cross-sectional size of lumen 105.

In some examples, a length of a proximal portion elongate member 114having a circular cross section as illustrated in FIG. 3 may beapproximately 100 cm to approximately 130 cm, such as approximately 110cm to approximately 120 cm, or approximately 115 cm or approximately117.5 cm. In some examples, the tapered portion of elongate member 114adjacent to the proximal portion and extending to a distal end ofelongate member 114 may have a length between approximately 2 cm toapproximately 20 cm, such as approximately 10 cm.

In some examples, a length of elongate member 114 having a cross sectionsubstantially as illustrated along line 4-4 may be between approximately20 mm to approximately 60 mm, such as approximately 40 mm. Thecross-section along line 4-4 may be selected to enable elongate member114 to be positioned between at least adjacent portions of inner liner104 and outer jacket 106 and provide structural support to entry port109.

In addition, in some examples (which may be combined with the foregoingdimensions), a length of elongate member 114 having a cross-sectionsubstantially as illustrated along line 5-5 may be between approximately5 mm to approximately 15 mm, such as approximately 10 mm. Thecross-section along line 5-5 may be selected to enable elongate member114 to be positioned between at least adjacent portions of inner liner104 and outer jacket 106 without obstructing inner lumen 105 of elongatebody 102. In some examples, the distal-most section of elongate member114 including a distal end of elongate member 114, e.g., represented bythe cross-section shown in FIG. 5 , may be selected to enable the distalportion of elongate member 114 to be flexible enough to be moved out ofthe way of a medical device that is being introduced into lumen 105 ofelongated body 102 via entry port 109. As the medical device is pushedinto lumen 105, elongate member 114 may inadvertently wrap around themedical device due to the manner in which it extends through outercatheter 110. This can be referred to as “wire wrap.” The relativelyflexible distal portion of elongate member 114 may enable the medicaldevice to push past any wrapped sections of elongate member 114 andavoid adverse impacts to medical device delivery attributable to wirewrap.

In some examples, the cross-section along line 5-5 may be selected tosubstantially match a thickness of anchor member 116. This provide asmoother profile at the juncture of elongate member 114 and anchormember 116, which may result in a smoother profile of entry port 109 andlumen 105.

In some examples, a cross-section of elongate member 114 may be flat orsubstantially flat on one side (such as D-shaped) or on both sides at aportion that is distal to a portion having a circular cross section. Across-section of elongate member 114 may have any suitable size and/orshape according to particular needs. In addition, elongate member 114may be tapered using nay suitable technique. In some examples, thetapered cross-section of elongate member 114 may be defined by anabrasive processing, such as grinding, sanding, or grit blasting. Insome examples, the abrasive processing to form the taper of elongatemember 114 may form at least one rough surface on elongate member. Theat least one rough surface may increase the surface area of elongatemember 114. The increased surface area may improve adhesion of apolymeric material, such as PTFE, and decrease delamination of thepolymeric material, for example, during use of catheter 100. Thepolymeric material may be, for example, the material used to form innerliner 104 and/or outer jacket 106.

Elongate member 114 being tapered in a distal direction may provideparticular advantages in some cases. For example, a proximal portion ofelongate member 114 having a solid round profile may have greater crosssectional area and mechanical integrity compared to an elongate memberhaving a different profile, such as a rectangular profile or a hollowprofile. In this way, the proximal portion of elongate member 114 maybetter resist kinking in response to a push force better than anelongate member having a different profile, such as a rectangularcross-section and/or a hollow cross-section. For example, a solid 0.45mm diameter round profile stainless steel elongate member 114 maytransfer at least 400 gram-force.

Additionally, or alternatively, due to its D-shaped tapered portions(e.g., alone lines 4-4 and 5-5), elongate member 114 may have greaterflexibility at a distal portion (relative to non-D-shaped profiles, suchas circular profiles), which may help facilitate navigability ofcatheter 100 through vasculature of a patient. The D-shaped profile mayalso enable elongate member 114 to have a similar profile to anchormember 116 at a portion of elongate member 114 bonded to anchor member116 which may allow push assembly 108 to maintain a smoother profile atthe juncture of elongate member 114 and anchor member 116. This smootherprofile at the juncture of elongate member 114 and anchor member 116 mayresult in a smoother profile of entry port 109 and lumen 105, which mayfacilitate easier introduction of medical devices into lumen 105 viaentry port 109.

FIG. 6 is a conceptual cross-sectional view of catheter 100 of FIGS. 1and 2 taken along line 6-6 in FIG. 2 . FIG. 6 illustrates across-section of inner liner 104, outer jacket 106, and elongate member114 within the section of catheter 100 defining entry port 109. Innerliner 104 and outer jacket 106 do not define circular cross-sections inthe portion of catheter 100 shown in FIG. 6 because they are configured(e.g., by skiving) to define entry port 109. In addition, anchor body116 is not present in the portion of catheter 100 shown in FIG. 6 .

FIGS. 7A and 7B are conceptual cross-sectional views of examples ofcatheter 100 of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line 7-7 in FIG. 2 , and FIGS.8A and 8B are conceptual cross-sectional views of examples of catheter100 of FIGS. 1 and 2 taken along line 8-8 in FIG. 2 . FIGS. 7A and 8Aare conceptual cross-sectional views of catheter 100 during assembly ofelongate body 102, after anchor member 116 has been inserted andadvanced between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106. FIGS. 7B and 8Bare a conceptual cross-sectional view of catheter 100 after assembly ofcatheter 100, after anchor member 116 has been inserted and advancedbetween inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106, as shown in FIGS. 7A and8A, respectively, and after heat has been applied to inner liner 104 andouter jacket 106 to reflow material of inner liner 104 and outer jacket106 around anchor member 116.

As shown in FIGS. 7A-8B, anchor member 116 may be positioned betweenouter jacket 106 and inner liner 104 such that anchor member 116 ispositioned within outer jacket 106 and at least partially around anouter perimeter of inner liner 104. In some examples, anchor member 116may extend about 140 degrees to about 160 degrees around the outerperimeter of inner liner 104. For example, a widest portion of anchormember 116, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B may extend about 140 degrees toabout 160 degrees around the widest portion of inner liner 104. Forexample, in some examples, anchor member 116 may extend about 160degrees around the outer perimeter of inner liner 104.

Anchor member 116 defines an inner surface 142 and an outer surface 144,and, in some examples, one or more of inner surface 142 and outersurface 144 may define a substantially semicircular surface but may, insome examples, include surface irregularities (e.g., waves, bumps, orother texturing). Anchor member 116 may have a thickness t_(AM) measuredin a direction perpendicular to longitudinal axis X of catheter 100. Insome examples, thickness t_(AM) may be about 50 micrometers thick toabout 100 micrometers thick, such as about 76.2 micrometers thick or anyother size suitable to fit between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106while also having suitable strength to secure push assembly 108 toelongate body 102. As shown in FIG. 6 , welding material 146 may joinelongate member 114 to anchor member 116, as describe in further detailbelow with respect to FIG. 15 .

As shown in FIGS. 7B and 8B, in some examples, heat may be applied toinner liner 104 and/or outer jacket 106 to reflow material from innerliner 104 and/or outer jacket 106 around anchor member 116 to bondanchor member 116 between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106. AlthoughFIG. 7B shows reflow of material from both inner liner 104 and outerjacket 106, in some examples, heat may be applied to only one of innerliner 104 and outer jacket 106 and/or material from only one of innerliner 104 and outer jacket 106 may be reflowed around anchor member 116.Alternatively, or in addition to reflow, other methods may be used tobond anchor member 116 between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106. Forexample, adhesives may be used. Bonding inner liner 104 and/or outerjacket 106 to anchor member 116 may improve the bond between elongatebody 102 and push assembly 108 over methods wherein elongate member 114is bonded directly to inner liner 104 and/or outer jacket 106, and maythus improve tensile strength, by providing greater surface area forbonding.

FIG. 9 is a conceptual perspective view of anchor member 116 of FIGS. 1,2, 6, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B. FIGS. 10A and 10B are conceptual perspectiveviews of push assembly 108 of FIGS. 1, 2, and 6 . As shown in FIGS. 9,10A, and 10B, anchor member 116 may define a partial-ring shape. Asshown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, anchor member 116 may be secured to elongatemember 114 to form push assembly 108. For example, anchor member 116 maybe welded to distal end 118 of elongate member 114 as described infurther detail below with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 . As anotherexample, anchor member 116 may be adhered or otherwise mechanicallyconnected to distal end 118 of elongate member 114.

In some examples, anchor member 116 may be formed of a radiopaquematerial such that anchor member 116 may serve as a radiopaque marker toindicate a location of entry port 109 to lumen 105 of elongate body 102.In other cases, a band may be added to anchor member 116 to serve as amarker. As discussed above, because anchor member 116 is not circular incross-section, a radiopaque anchor member 116 may help indicate arotational orientation of catheter 100 (e.g., a rotational orientationof entry port 109) within vasculature of a patient. In contrast, ananchor member having a circular cross-section would not indicate therotational position of entry port 109 of catheter 100, as the rotationalposition of the anchor member within a medical image would not appear tochange based on the rotational orientation of entry port 109 aboutlongitudinal axis X.

FIG. 11 is a conceptual perspective view of an example push assembly152, such as push assembly 108 of FIGS. 1, 2, 10A and 10B, furtherincluding a radiopaque band 154.

Push assembly 152 may include anchor member 156 and elongate member 158.In some examples, anchor member 156 may include one or more radiopaquebands 154 to facilitate visualization of anchor member 156.

Band 154 may be formed from a radiopaque material and can include, forexample, a radiopaque marker band (e.g., one or more partial rings)attached to anchor member 158, e.g., by an adhesive or weld. In someexamples, band 154 may include any suitable radiopaque material. Inaddition to, or instead of a radiopaque marker band, band 154 mayinclude one or more grooves protruding from an outer surface 160 ofanchor member 158 or defined by and recessed within outer surface 160 ofanchor member 158. Although band 154 is shown along an outer diameter ofanchor member 158, band 154 may include grooves including, for example,a series of tangential arcs along an inner diameter of anchor member 158and may be formed from a radiopaque material, or may be filled with aradiopaque material in the case of recessed grooves, which may bevisible within the patient with the aid of suitable medical imagingequipment. Band 154 may help a clinician determine an orientation and/orlocation of anchor member 158 and/or any suitable component of thedevice described herein.

FIGS. 12 and 13 are conceptual cross-sectional views of example anchormembers, such as anchor member 116 of FIGS. 1 and 2 , with an innerand/or outer surface defining a non-semicircular surface. For example,as shown in FIG. 12 , anchor member 172 may define inner surface 174 andouter surface 176, and one or more of inner surface 174 and outersurface 176 may define a non-semicircular surface. For example, outersurface 176 may define a plurality of notches 178 a-178 n. As anotherexample, as shown in FIG. 13 , anchor member 182 may define innersurface 184 and outer surface 186 and one or more of inner surface 184and outer surface 186 may define a plurality of waves 188 a-188 n. Insome examples, as in FIG. 12 , both inner surface 174 and outer surface176 may define a non-semicircular surface. In other examples, as in FIG.12 , only one of inner surface 174 and outer surface 176 may define asubstantially non-semicircular surface.

Although FIGS. 12 and 13 show particular example anchor members 172 and182 with non-semicircular and substantially semicircular surfaces, anysuitable surfaces may be used according to particular needs. Forexample, an anchor member may define inner and outer surfaces bothdefining a plurality of waves. As another example, only one of an innersurface and an outer surface of an example anchor member may define aplurality of notches. In some examples, an anchor member may include oneof an inner surface and an outer surface defining a plurality of notchesand another of the inner surface and outer surface defining a pluralityof waves. An anchor member may have any suitable combination of innerand outer surfaces according to particular needs.

In some examples, an anchor member with inner and/or outer surfacesdefining non-semicircular surfaces may provide particular advantages.For example, such non-semicircular advantages may increase surface areaof the surface(s) and thus improve bond between the anchor member andthe inner liner, and/or the outer jacket. For example, reflow of innerliner and/or outer jacket material may bond with a greater surface areaof the anchor member and may thus improve the bond between the innerliner and/or outer jacket and the anchor member.

Anchor member 116 may be mechanically connected to elongate member 114using any suitable technique, such as, but not limited to, welding, anadhesive, or mechanical fixation mechanism, such as a strap, or thelike. FIG. 14 is a conceptual side view of an example of anchor member116 of push assembly 108 of FIGS. 2, 10A, and 10B and a distal portionof elongate member 114 of the push assembly 108 of FIGS. 2, 10A, and10B, before anchor member 116 and elongate member 114 are mechanicallyconnected together to form push assembly 108. FIG. 15 is a conceptualside view of push assembly 108 of FIG. 14 after anchor member 116 andelongate member 114 are mechanically connected together to form pushassembly 108.

As shown in FIG. 14 , anchor member 116 may extend from a proximal end192 to a distal end 128. Length L_(AM) of anchor member 116 may bemeasured along axis X (where orthogonal x-y axes are shown in FIGS. 14and 15 for ease of description only) from proximal end 192 to distal end128 of anchor member 116. In some examples, length L_(AM) of anchormember 116 is about 2 mm to about 5 mm, such as about 3 mm. Anchor 116may have other lengths in other examples. Anchor member 116 may define aslot 194 extending from proximal end 192 towards distal end 128. In someexamples, distal end 128 of elongate member 114 may be positioned atleast partially within slot 194. In some examples, slot 194 has a lengthL_(S) from about 25 percent to about 75 percent of a length L_(AM) ofanchor member 116. In some examples, length Ls of slot 194 may be about40 percent to about 60 percent of length L_(AM) of anchor member 116. Insome examples, anchor member 116 may be welded to elongate member 114.For example, as shown in FIG. 15 , welding material 146 may be placedwithin slot 194 and between anchor member 116 and elongate member 114.In some examples, slot 194 may extend through the entire thicknesst_(AM) of anchor member 116. In other examples, slot 194 may extend onlypartially through thickness t_(AM) of anchor member 116. Slot 194 mayextend a thickness sufficient to receive distal end 118 of elongatemember 114 and welding material 146.

Anchor member 116 defining a slot 194 within which distal end 118 ofelongate member 114 and welding material 146 may be placed in order tobond distal end 118 of elongate member 114 to anchor member 116 mayprovide one or more advantages. For example, slot 194 may increase thesurface area of the portions of elongate member 114 and anchor member116 that are mechanically connected to each other, which may increasethe strength of the mechanical connection between elongate member 114and anchor member 116. As another example, slot 194 may provide for alower radial profile of push assembly 108 compared to examples in whichan anchor member does not include a slot or in which a slot is not wideenough for both distal end 118 of elongate member 114 and weldingmaterial 146 because distal end 118 and/or welding material 146 need notincrease a radial profile of elongate body 102 and/or push assembly 108by extending radially, inwardly or outwardly, from anchor member 116.This may also provide improved assembly of catheter 100 by providing aless bulky push assembly 108 that may be more easily inserted andadvanced between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106.

FIG. 16 is a conceptual perspective view of a portion of an exampleelongate member 114 of FIGS. 1, 2, 10A, 10B, and 11 . In some examples,a sleeve 202 may surround at least a portion of elongate member 114. Insome examples, a sleeve 202 may surround at least a portion of elongatemember 114 external to lumen 105 defined by elongate body. Sleeve 202may include one or more layers of material configured to surround atleast a portion of elongate member 114 and to distinguish elongatemember 114 from other medical devices and/or to enable easier grip ofelongate member 114.

In some examples, sleeve 202 may be textured such that it defines atleast one textured surface, which may help a clinician grip sleeve 202and/or sleeve 202 grip elongate member 114. For example, in someexamples, sleeve 202 may be etched such that it defines at least oneetched surface. As another example, sleeve 202 may define ridges,grooves, or the like on the surface facing outward (the surface that aclinician would grip when engaging sleeve 202), and/or on the surfacefacing elongate member 114.

In addition to, or instead of, aiding a clinician’s handling of elongatemember 114, in some examples, sleeve 202 may provide one or more visibleindicia that help differentiate elongate member 114 from other medicaldevices. For example, sleeve 202 may be a different color than at leastone of elongate member 114, inner liner 104, and outer jacket 106. Inaddition, or instead, sleeve 202 may include one or more visible and/ortactile bands 204. In some examples, bands 204 may include a partial cutaround a perimeter of sleeve 202. In some examples, the partial cut mayextend only partially through a radial thickness ts of sleeve 202. Insome examples, the partial cut may extend 360 degrees around a perimeterof sleeve 202. Bands 204 may include a double-stripe mark. Bands 204 mayinclude a marker with any suitable visual characteristics, such as, butnot limited to, a particular color(s), visible pattern(s), and/ortexture(s).

Sleeve 202 may provide particular advantages. For example, sleeve 202including a textured surface, having a distinct color, having bands 204and/or or other visually distinct indicium or indicia may help totactilely and/or visually distinguish elongate member 114 from othercomponents including, for example, a guidewire or other catheters ordevices used with catheter 100 such that a user may more easilydistinguish it from other components. For example, without sleeve 202,elongate member 114 may look and/or feel like a guidewire and may bedifficult to identify as being a part of push assembly 108.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example method including thevarious stages of assembly of example catheter 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and2 . In accordance with this method of assembly, anchor member 116 ofpush assembly 108 is inserted between inner liner 104 and outer jacket106 of catheter 100 such that, after insertion, anchor member 116extends only partially around an outer perimeter of inner liner 104(212). In some examples, anchor member 116 is advanced between innerliner 104 and outer jacket 106 in a distal direction (214). In someexamples, anchor member 116 may be advanced between inner liner 104 andouter jacket 106 in a distal direction until proximal end 192 of anchormember 116 is aligned with proximal end 138 of entry port 109. In otherexamples, anchor member 116 may be advanced between inner liner 104 andouter jacket 106 in a distal direction until distal end 128 of anchormember 116 is aligned with distal end 140 of entry port 109. Anchormember 116 may be advanced to any suitable position between inner liner104 and outer jacket 106 according to particular needs.

After insertion and advancement of anchor member 116, distal to proximalend 10 of elongate body 102, a portion of push assembly 108, includinganchor member 116, is positioned between adjacent portions inner liner104 and outer jacket 106 and, proximal end 10 of elongate body 102, aportion of push assembly 108 is positioned outside of outer jacket 106and inner liner 104.

In some examples, heat may be applied to inner liner 104 and/or outerjacket 106 to reflow material around anchor member 116 (214).

In some examples, a method of assembly may further include abrasiveprocessing of elongate member 114 to form a taper, such as the D-shapedtaper illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 . The abrasive processing mayinclude, for example, grinding, sanding, or grit blasting at least aportion of elongate member 114 to remove material.

In some examples, a method of assembly may further include couplinganchor member 116 to elongate member 114. For example, anchor member 116may be coupled to elongate member 114 before insertion of anchor member116 between inner liner 104 and outer jacket 106 of catheter 100. Insome examples, coupling anchor member 116 to elongate member 114 mayinclude positioning distal end 118 of elongate member 114 at leastpartially within slot 194 of anchor member 116. In some examples,coupling anchor member 116 to elongate member 114 may include weldinganchor member 116 to elongate member 114. In some examples, weldinganchor member 116 to elongate member 114 may include placing weldingmaterial 146 within slot 194 and between anchor member 116 and elongatemember 114.

In some examples, the method may further include positioningreinforcement member 126 between at least a portion of inner liner 104and at least a portion of outer jacket 106. In some examples, the methodmay include positioning distal end 128 of anchor member 116 proximal toreinforcement member 126. In some examples, the method may includepositioning distal end 128 of anchor member 116 such that it abutsproximal end 130 of reinforcement member 126. In some examples, themethod may include positioning sleeve 202 around at least a portion ofelongate member 114.

Various examples have been described. These and other examples arewithin the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A catheter comprising: an elongate bodycomprising: an inner liner defining a lumen; and an outer jacketpositioned radially outward of the inner liner; and a push assemblycomprising: an elongate member; and an anchor member positioned at adistal portion of the elongate member, wherein a proximal end of theanchor member is proximal to a distal end of the elongate member,wherein the anchor member and a first portion of the elongate member arepositioned between the inner liner and the outer jacket, the anchormember extending only partially around a perimeter of the inner liner,and wherein a second portion of the elongate body is positioned proximalto the outer jacket and the inner liner.
 2. The catheter of claim 1,wherein a distal-most edge of the anchor member is beveled.
 3. Thecatheter of claim 1, wherein the anchor member extends from the proximalend to a distal end, the anchor member defining a slot extending fromthe proximal end of the anchor member towards the distal end of theanchor member, and wherein the distal end of the elongate member ispositioned within the slot.
 4. The catheter of claim 1, wherein theanchor member is separate from and mechanically connected to theelongate member.
 5. The catheter of claim 4, wherein the anchor memberis welded to the elongate member.
 6. The catheter of claim 1, whereinthe anchor member defines a partial-ring shape.
 7. The catheter of claim1, wherein the outer jacket comprises a first outer jacket section and asecond outer jacket section distal to the first outer jacket section,the first and second outer jacket sections having different stiffnesses,and wherein the inner liner comprises a first inner liner section and asecond inner liner section distal to the first inner liner section, thefirst inner liner section defining an entry port into the lumen andbeing less flexible than the second inner liner section.
 8. The catheterof claim 1, wherein the elongate body defines an entry port into thelumen, and wherein a proximal end of the anchor member is aligned with aproximal end of the entry port.
 9. The catheter of claim 1, wherein theelongate body defines an entry port into the lumen, wherein the entryport tapers to define an angle from a distal end of the entry port to aproximal end of the entry port.
 10. The catheter of claim 1, theelongate body further comprising a reinforcement member positionedbetween the inner liner and the outer jacket, wherein a distal end ofthe anchor member is positioned proximal to the reinforcement member.11. The catheter of claim 1, wherein the anchor member defines an innersurface and an outer surface wherein at least one of the inner surfaceor the outer surface defines a non-semicircular surface.
 12. A cathetercomprising: an elongate body comprising: an inner liner defining anouter perimeter and defining an entry port into a lumen of the elongatebody; and an outer jacket positioned radially outward of the innerliner; a push assembly comprising: an elongate member; and an anchormember positioned at a distal portion of the elongate member, the anchormember extending from a proximal-most edge to a distal-most edge,wherein the distal-most edge is beveled, wherein the anchor member and afirst portion of the elongate member are positioned between the innerliner and the outer jacket, the anchor member having an inner perimeterthat extends less than fully around the outer perimeter of the innerliner, and wherein a second portion of the elongate body is positionedproximal to the outer jacket and the inner liner.
 13. The catheter ofclaim 12, wherein the anchor member is radiopaque marker.
 14. Thecatheter of claim 12, wherein the anchor member defines a slot extendingfrom the proximal-most edge towards the distal-most edge, and wherein adistal end of the elongate member is positioned within the slot.
 15. Thecatheter of claim 12, wherein the anchor member is separate from andattached to the elongate member.
 16. The catheter of claim 12, whereinthe elongate body further comprises a reinforcement member positionedbetween at least a portion of the inner liner and at least a portion ofthe outer jacket, wherein the distal-most edge of the anchor member ispositioned proximal to the reinforcement member.
 17. The catheter ofclaim 12, wherein the entry port tapers to define an angle from a distalend of the entry port to a proximal end of the entry port.
 18. Acatheter comprising: an elongate body comprising: an inner linerdefining a lumen; and an outer jacket positioned over the inner liner;and a push assembly comprising: an elongate member; and an anchor memberpositioned at a distal portion of the elongate member, wherein theanchor member is separate from and attached to the elongate member, andwherein the elongate member tapers in a distal direction to definesmooth profile at a juncture of the elongate member and the anchormember, wherein the anchor member and a first portion of the elongatemember are positioned between the inner liner and the outer jacket, theanchor member extending only partially around a perimeter of the innerliner, and wherein a second portion of the elongate body is positionedproximal to the outer jacket and the inner liner.
 19. The catheter ofclaim 18, wherein a distal-most edge of the anchor member is beveled.20. The catheter of claim 18, wherein the anchor member extends from aproximal end to a distal end, the anchor member defining a slotextending from the proximal end of the anchor member towards the distalend of the anchor member, wherein the distal end of the elongate memberis positioned within the slot.